Eisele Vineyard, Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley 2015 375ml

From the world famous Eisele Vineyard in Calistoga, this is not your porch pounder style of SB. This is rare, complex, and displays magnificently what can be accomplished with this beautiful grape. Well done.

Juicy details below:

WINEGROWING INFORMATION: A mild and exceptionally dry winter led to early bud break, followed by the earliest bloom on record at the end of April. The fruit set was very good and homogenous. While a cool month of May exposed the region to shattering and set most vineyards on course for very low yields, the vines on the Eisele Vineyard benefited from slow growth to erect well-balanced canopies. With average production for the region almost half of 2014, the estate yielded only 10% less, showing the strength of the old vines and the remarkable consistency of the terroir. Summer conditions were similar to 2014. Warm days and nights fostered steady ripening, leading to the earliest-ever harvest for the Sauvignon of Eisele. The fruit was picked between August 13th and August 22nd. The grapes were certified ‘Organic’ by California Certified Organic Farmers and ‘Biodynamic’ by Demeter. The wines were aged on their lees for 12 months, in a combination of stainless steel (18%), concrete eggs (20%), used oak (42%) and new oak (20%).

TASTING NOTES: The nose opens with a perfume of white musk and blackcurrant buds, which continues on to tangerine and candied citrus notes touched by flint and vanilla. The palate is round and full suggesting white peach, with bright acidity carrying the long, fresh finish to mineral notes.

(these preceding notes are from the winery. my personal tasting notes from when we sampled this wine last week: fresh grapefruit flesh and pith, fennel frond, creamy texture and green herbal spiciness… later a honeydew melon component emerged as the temperature warmed slightly in the glass)

GRAPE SOURCE: 76% Sauvignon Blanc Musqué 24% Sauvignon Blanc

Truly one of the most limited and beloved white wines we get every year!